Whitehouse Lagoon group visits wastewater treatment plant

Pictured (l-r) during the recent visit to Whitehouse Wastewater Treatment Works are Rosie Watkins, Paul Moore, Suzanne Belshaw, Peter Neeson (NI Water), Nicola Murray (Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful) and Mark Consiglia (NI Water). INNT 25-503CON

The group works to protect the lagoon at Gideon’s Green, and keep it free from pollution.

One of the areas covered during the tour was how inappropriate items can all too often end up in the public sewer instead of in their rightful place in the bin, something NI Water is very keen to discourage. Flushing of items such as household wipes and sanitary towels are a common cause of sewer blockages, and NI Water is fighting a daily battle to keep the sewers clear, at a cost of £2.5 million per year.

“NI Water will never win this battle on our own,” a spokesperson said. “We need the support of the public to work with us to dispose of these items in the bin rather than down the sewer in order to keep our sewers running freely.”

A leaflet containing details of NI Water’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ campaign can be found online at www.niwater.com